Spanish
Santo Domingo — Hall of Fame member, David Ortiz, came to the defense of Juan Soto amidst the difficult moment the Dominican outfielder is experiencing with the New York Mets. During his participation in the program El Mañanero Radio, Ortiz was blunt in pointing out that the problem is not Soto's performance, but the excessive expectations that compare him to irreplaceable legends like Barry Bonds.
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“People think Juan Soto was paid to do what Barry Bonds did,” Ortiz stated. “Soto was paid to do what he actually does: hit 30 home runs, drive in between 90 and 100 runs, bat .280-.290, and have a good OBP. The thing is, he entered free agency at the perfect time and with the perfect agent.”
“Big Papi's” words come at a critical moment. Soto, 26, is having his worst start to the season since he debuted in the Major Leagues. In 53 games, he's batting .233, with 8 home runs, 25 RBIs, and an OPS of .771 — figures that are considerably far from his usual performance. His OPS+ of 122, although still above the league average, is the lowest he has recorded in the first two months of a season.
Ortiz emphasized that comparing Soto to Barry Bonds is not only unfair, but absurd. “Bonds was an anomaly, a statistical phenomenon. Soto is a great player, cerebral, consistent, with a career already marked by success in three different franchises,” he pointed out.The pressure of the record contract
Soto signed in the offseason a mega-contract of 15 years and 765 million dollars with the Mets, becoming one of the most lucrative agreements in baseball history. Since then, his performance has been closely followed by the press and fans, especially in a demanding place like New York.
Soto's case is reminiscent of that of shortstop Francisco Lindor, who also had a difficult first year with the Mets in 2021, before stabilizing his performance. Lindor himself has recently stated that “learning to ignore the external noises” was key to coping with the pressure and regaining his level.
Ortiz: “The numbers will come”
For David Ortiz, Soto's time and consistency will eventually prevail. “We are not talking about the best player in MLB or the most complete, but he is a very good player. And at the end of the season, the numbers he usually has, they will be there. People expect that every time he stands at the plate he does what Barry Bonds did, and he has never been Barry Bonds,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, the Mets continue to trust that Soto will find his rhythm and respond as he has throughout his career. And with references like Ortiz coming out to support him, it's clear that he still has the respect and faith of the greats of the game.
